Two Phase Pipeline

Ref.: Brill & Beggs, Two Phase Flow in Pipes, 6th

Edition, 1991. Chapter 3.

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Duns & Ros)

1- Flow regimes boundaries: The flow regimes map is shown

in Figure 3-10. The flow regimes boundaries are defined as
a functions of the dimensionless quantities: Ngv, NLv, Nd, NL,
L1, L2, Ls and Lm where:

Ngv, NLv, Nd and NL are the same as Hagedorn & Brown method.

Ls= 50 + 36 NLv and Lm= 75 + 84 NLv0.75

L1 and L2 are functions of Nd as shown in Figure 3-11.

Bubble Flow Limits: 0 Ngv L1 + L2 NLv
Slug Flow Limits: L1 + L2 NLv Ngv Ls
Transition (Churn) Flow Limits: Ls < Ngv <Lm
Annular-Mist Flow Limits: Ngv > Lm

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Duns & Ros)

2- Pressure gradient due to elevation change: The procedure

for calculating the pressure gradient due to elevation
change in each flow regimes is:
Calculate the dimensionless slip velocity (S) based on the
appropriate correlation

vs S 4 ( L g ) / L

Calculate vs based on the definition of S:

Calculate HL based
the definition of vs :
vsg onvsL
vs vm (vm vs ) 2 4vs vsL
vs

HL
1 H L H L
2v s

dP
g due to elevation change:
pressure
Calculate the
gradient

s where s L H L g H g

dZ elevation g c

0.5

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Duns & Ros)

Correlations for calculating S in each flow regimes:

Bubble Flow:
'

N gv

S F1 F2 N Lv F3
1 N Lv

where F3' F3

F4
Nd

F1 , F2 , F3 and F4 can be obtained from Figure 3-12.

(1 F5 )
SlugS Flow:

0.982
N gv
F6'

(1 F7 N Lv ) 2

where F6' 0.029 N d F6

F5 , F6 and F7 can be obtained from Figure 3-14.

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Duns & Ros)

3- Pressure gradient due to friction:

Bubble Flow:

dP

dZ

friction

f tp L vsL vm

where

2 gc d

N Re

f tp f1 f 2 / f 3

L vsL d
L

f1 is obtained from Moody diagram (

), f2 is a correction

vsg3-13, and f is an
for the gas-liquid ratio, and is given
3
f 1in
Figure
f
3

50 vsL

additional correction factor for both liquid viscosity and gas-liquid

ratio, and can be calculated as:

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Duns & Ros)

Annular-Mist Flow: In this region, the friction term is based on

the gas phase only. Thus:

f tp g vsg2
dP
d2

where d d , vsg vsg 2

2 gc d
d
dZ friction
As the wave height on the pipe walls increase, the actual area through
which the gas can flow is decreased, since the diameter open to gas is
d .

After calculating the gas Reynolds number,

N Re

g vsg d
, the twog

phase friction factor can be obtained from Moody diagram or rough

pipe equation:

f tp 4

0
.
067

2
d
4 log 10 (0.27 / d )
1

1.73

for

0.05
d

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Duns & Ros)
Duns and Ros noted that the wall roughness for mist flow is
affected by the wall liquid film. Its value is greater than the pipe
roughness and less than 0.5, and can be calculated as follows (or
Figure 3-15):
0.0749 L

for
N
N

0
.
005
:

We
2

v
d
g
sg

0.302
0
.
3713

(
N
N
)

L
We
for N N 0.005 :

We
2

v
d
g
sg

2
2

v
Where N (Weber number ) g sg , N L
we

L
L L

Duns and Ros suggested that the prediction of friction loss could be
refined by using d instead of d. In this case the determination of

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Duns & Ros)

4- Pressure gradient due to acceleration:

Bubble Flow: The acceleration term is negligible.
Slug Flow: The acceleration term is negligible.
Mist Flow:
dP

dZ

acc

vm vsg n dP

g c P dZ

dP

dZ

total

dP

dZ

or
total

dP

dZ
ele
1 Ek

Where

Ek

vm vsg n
gc P

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Duns & Ros)

Transition Flow: In the transition zone between slug and mist

flow, Duns and Ros suggested linear interpolation between the flow
regime boundaries, Ls and Lm , to obtain the pressure gradient, as
follows:
dP

dZ

dP

dZ

A
Transition

dP

dZ

B
Slug

Mist

Where

Lm N gv
Lm Ls

, B

N gv Ls
Lm Ls

1 A

Increased accuracy was claimed if the gas density used in the mist
g N gv
'

flow pressure gradient calculation was modified to : g

Lm

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Orkiszewski)

Orkiszewski, after testing several correlations, selected the

Griffith and Wallis method for bubble flow and the Duns
and Ros method for annular-mist flow. For slug flow, he
proposed a new correlation.
Bubble Flow
1- Limits: vsg / vm < LB
Where L B 1.071 0.2218 vm2 / d and LB 0.13
2- Liquid Holdup:

vm
2
H L 1 0.5 1 (1 vm / vs ) 4vsg / vs
vs

Where the vs have a constant value of 0.8 ft/sec.

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Orkiszewski)
3- Pressure gradient due to friction:
2
f

v
d
P

tp
L L

2 g c ddiagram with liquid

dZ from
friction Moody
Where ftp is obtained

Reynolds number:
L vL d
4- Pressure gradient due to acceleration:
is negligible in bubble
L
N Re

flow regimes.

Slug Flow
1- Limits: vsg / vm > LB and Ngv < Ls
Where Ls and Ngv are the same as Duns and Ros method.

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Orkiszewski)
2- Two-phase density:

L (vsL vb ) g vsg
s
L
vm for
vb calculating v :
The following procedure must be used
b
1- Estimate a value for vb. A good guess is vb = 0.5 (g d)0.5
2- Based on the value of vb , calculate the N L vb d
Re
L
3- Calculate the new value of vb from the equations shown in the
next page, based on NReb and NReL where
v d
N Re L m
L
4- Compare the values of vb obtained in steps one and three. If they
are not sufficiently close, use the values calculated in step three as
the next guess and go to step two.
b

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Orkiszewski)
Use the following equations for calculation of vb:

vb 0.546 8.74 10 6 N Re L

vb 0.35 8.74 10 6 N Re L

gd

gd

0.251 8.74 10 6 N Re L g d

for
for

N Re b 3000
N Re b 8000

for 3000 N Re b 8000

13.59 L

where vb 0.5
0.5
L d

0.5

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Orkiszewski)
The value of can be calculated from the following equations
depending upon the continuous liquid phase and mixture velocity.
Continuous Value
Liquid Phase of vm

Equation of

Water

< 10

0.013 log( L )
0.681 0.232 log( vm ) 0.428 log( d )
d 1.38

Water

>10

0.045 log( L )
0.709 0.162 log( vm ) 0.888 log( d )
d 0.799

Oil

<10

0.0127 log( L 1)
0.284 0.167 log( vm ) 0.113 log( d )
d 1.415

0.0274 log( L 1)
0.161 0.569 log( d ) X
d 1.371
0.01 log( L 1)

X log( vm )

0
.
397

0
.
63
log(
d
)

d 1.571

Oil

>10

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Orkiszewski)
Data from literature indicate that a phase inversion from oil
continuous to water continuous occurs at a water cut of
approximately 75% in emulsion flow.
The value of is constrained by the following limits:
a ) For vm 10 : 0.065 vm
b) For vm 10 :

vb

1 s
vm vb
L

These constraints are supposed to eliminate pressure

discontinuities between equations for since the equation pairs
do not necessarily meet at vm=10 ft/sec.

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Vertical Upward Flow Pipeline (Orkiszewski)
3- Pressure gradient due to friction:
f tp L vm2 vsL vb

dP

d
Z
2
g
d
v

friction from Moody

c
b
mdiagram

Where f is obtained
with
mixture

tp

Reynolds number:
L vm d
N

4- Pressure gradient dueReto acceleration:

is negligible in slug
L

flow regime.

Transition (Churn) Flow Limits: Ls < Ngv <Lm

The same as Duns and Ros method.

Annular-Mist Flow Limits: Ngv > Lm

The same as Duns and Ros method.

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Beggs and Brill

Beggs and Brill method can be used for vertical, horizontal and
inclined two-phase flow pipelines.
1- Flow Regimes: The flow regime used in this method is a
correlating parameter and gives no information about the
actual flow regime unless the pipe is horizontal.
The flow regime map is shown in Figure 3-16. The flow
regimes boundaries are defined as a functions of the
following variables:
N Fr

vm2

, L1 316 L0.302 , L2 9.252 10 4 L 2.4684

gd

L3 0.10 L1.4516 , L4 0.5 L6.738

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Beggs and Brill

Segregated Limits:
L 0.01 and N Fr L1
or L 0.01 and N Fr L2

Transition Limits:

L 0.01 and L2 N Fr L3

Intermittent Limits:

0.01 L 0.4 and L3 N Fr L1

or L 0.4 and L3 N Fr L4

Distributed Limits: L 0.4 and N Fr L1

or L 0.4 and N Fr L4

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Beggs and Brill

2- Liquid Holdup: In all flow regimes, except transition, liquid

holdup can be calculated from the following equation:
a bL
H L ( ) H L ( 0) , H L ( 0 ) c with constraint : H L ( 0) L
N Fr
Where HL(0) is the liquid holdup which would exist at the same
conditions in a horizontal pipe. The values of parameters, a, b and
c are shown for each flow regimes in this Table:
Flow Pattern

Segregated

0.98

0.4846

0.0868

Intermittent

0.845

0.5351

0.0173

Distributed

1.065

0.5824

0.0609

For transition flow regimes, calculate HL as follows:

H L (transition) A H L (segregated) B H L (intermittent) , A

L3 N Fr
, B 1 A
L3 L2

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Beggs and Brill
The holdup correcting factor (), for the effect of pipe inclination
is given by:
1 C sin( 1.8 ) 0.333 sin 3 (1.8 )
Where is the actual angle of the pipe from horizontal. For
vertical upward flow, = 90o and = 1 + 0.3 C. C is:

g
C (1 L ) ln d eL N Lvf N Fr
, with restrictio n that C 0.

The values of parameters, d, e, f and g are shown for each flow

regimes in this Table:
Flow Pattern

d'

Segregated uphill

0.011

-3.768

3.539

-1.614

Intermittent uphill

2.96

0.305

-0.4473

0.0978

Distributed uphill
All patterns downhill

No correction
4.70

-0.3692

C=0,=1
0.1244

-0.5056

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Beggs and Brill
3- Pressure gradient due to friction factor:

dP
dL

f tp n vm2

f tp f n e S

2 gc d

fn is determined from the smooth pipe curve of the Moody

n vm d
N

diagram, using the following Reynolds number: Re

n
The parameter S can be calculated as follows:
2
1

/
H
L
L ( ) 1.2 S ln( 2.2 y 1.2) and for others:
For

ln y

0.0523 3.182 ln y 0.8725 (ln y)

0.01853 (ln y ) 4

Two-Phase Flow Correlations

Beggs and Brill

4- Pressure gradient due to acceleration: Although the

acceleration term is very small except for high velocity flow,
it should be included for increased accuracy.

dP

dL

acc

s vm vsg dP

g c P dL

dP

dL

Where

dP

dL

total

Ek

or
total

dP

dL
ele
1 Ek

vm vsg s
gc P

dP
,

dL

ele

g
s sin
gc

Figure 3-10. Vertical two-phase flow regimes map (Duns & Ros).

F3

F4

F2

F4

F5

F6

Figure 3-16. Beggs and Brill, Horizontal flow regimes map.